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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24482899">i just count the hours</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonEyez/pseuds/DragonEyez'>DragonEyez</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, Multi, OT6, Post-Canon, Pre-CDTH, Slice of Life, Trans Character, and ronan is black bc i make the rules, my city now, theyre all trans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:35:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,686</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24482899</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonEyez/pseuds/DragonEyez</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>vignettes of the gangsey living their lives at the barns</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Noah Czerny/Richard Gansey III/Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish/Blue Sargent/Henry Cheng, Ronan Lynch &amp; Blue Sargent</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>i just count the hours</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>title from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjNtWeTq5rA">your hand holding mine</a> by yellow days</p>
<p>for <a href="https://twitter.com/beepsbears">smith</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everytime Ronan thought he’d made sure the Barns were spaced out enough, Blue managed to yell loud enough to prove him wrong. He just sipped his coffee and waited. His position at the kitchen table was the perfect vantage point to watch the sparks fly, and from the way her footsteps slapped against the ceiling, he wouldn't have to wait long. </p>
<p>“Whoooooo?” She slid into view, towel wrapped tightly around her body. In her hand was a bottle of shampoo that she shook angrily at him.</p>
<p>Ronan raised an eyebrow at her, looking from her face to the bottle and back again. “Am I supposed to be scared, Maggot? Because this would be a lot more terrifying if you weren’t a fucking manlet. You look about as threatening as a drowned kitten.” The day Henry had taught him that word had been a dark one for everyone else but a blessing for him. One more insult to gleefully pack into his arsenal, and he deployed it frequently.</p>
<p>“Ha ha, very funny, Lynch. Always with the short jokes. Deflecting from something, maybe?” Again, she shook the bottle at him.</p>
<p>“That sure is a bottle of shampoo. What do you want me to do with that? Stick it up m-”</p>
<p>Blue launched the bottle at him but it went wide and hit the kitchen counter behind him with a hollow thump. “I just bought that last week, how is it already empty? I can’t wash my hair now! You’re the only person in the house I can find right now, which makes you suspect number one.”</p>
<p>“Aren’t you supposed to be one of the smart ones? I don’t even <i>need</i> shampoo.” He gestured vaguely at his own head, reminding her that he hadn’t magically grown hair overnight. “But since you’re so sure I’m the guilty one here, take me away, lock me up.” </p>
<p>“Fine. Maybe it <i>wasn’t</i> you. But there are five other people in this house to question, and I intended to get those answers.” She sat in the chair across from him and plucked his coffee out of his hands. He didn’t even bother protesting, instead just watch her take an angry pull out of the mug. “Ugh, why’d you let this go cold, Lynch?”</p>
<p>“I decided it should reflect my soul. Nobody said you had to drink it. In fact, nobody even offered it to you. This is your own damn fault.”</p>
<p>“We <i>have</i> a microwave. Adam and I specifically bought a microwave. Why don’t you use it?”</p>
<p>“Just like you bought shampoo?”</p>
<p>Now that she’d gotten over the fact that she’d clearly been ousted from her shower by the lack of basic hygiene products, Blue had calmed down a bit. “Fuck you, Lynch. I swear, it’s like someone’s drinking it or something. Is Opal drinking the shampoo?”</p>
<p>Ronan snorted derisively. “No, the little monster isn’t drinking your shampoo. She doesn’t like the way it tastes.”</p>
<p>“I was only being half-serious but that can’t be good for her?”</p>
<p>“What do I look like, a magic goat kid doctor? She isn’t dead yet, so it’s probably fine. She drinks your moms’ teas, doesn’t she? Shampoo can’t be much worse than that.”</p>
<p>“Mmm. True. So that leaves four people.”</p>
<p>“Adam’s at <i>work</i>.” He spat the word out like it sat sour on his tongue, and Blue rolled her eyes. “Noah’s with xir sisters until dinner. So that just leaves Dick and Plain. Do with that information what you will. Far away from me.”</p>
<p>“Not your best work, but I get the picture. Thanks for the coffee.”</p>
<p>“Maybe there’ll be a fresh pot later.” </p>
<p>“There better be! I have to work on my lab notes still, and this delay isn’t helping.”</p>
<p> “Look, Maggot. Go use my shower. Adam’s got shampoo and conditioner and all that jazz in there.”</p>
<p>“Really? Are you sure? I didn’t want to use their stuff without their permission.”</p>
<p>Ronan rolled his eyes and reached across the table to take his coffee back. “You think I’d offer if I wasn’t sure? Just go finish your fucking shower already.” She bounced up from her chair and planted a kiss on his forehead, laughing at his outrage. “Get the fuck out of my kitchen!”</p>
<p>“You can’t scare me, Lynch. You just a big ol’ softie.”</p>
<p>“I’ll show you soft when I kick your ass for ruining the hardwood!” He leaned back in his chair, carefully balancing the back two legs as he sipped at the last dregs Blue had left him. He made a face at the cold liquid and dropped the chair, getting up to make a new pot after all. Not because she asked. It was just gross to keep drinking that crap when he had time to fix it. </p>
<p>As Ronan waited for the percolator to go, his phone buzzed on the table incessantly, and he considered throwing the stupid thing across the room. But he’d promised Adam <i>and</i> Gansey that he would do better about at least keeping it charged and on vibrate, and so far, he had. With a sigh, he flipped it open and growled “What?”</p>
<p>“Ronan, my dear! Good morning!” Speak of the Devil, and he shall call you for no fucking reason.</p>
<p>“I just saw you an hour ago Dick, what do you want?”</p>
<p>“What, can’t I just call my lovely boyfriend and check in on him from time to time?”</p>
<p>“If you just wanted to chat you should’ve sent me a text. I’m hanging up n-”</p>
<p>“Wait! Wait wait wait! Is Jane up?”</p>
<p>“Yeah and she’s pissed. Any clue why I just got subjected to an entire tirade about missing hair products? Anything you need to tell a certain somebody?” </p>
<p>Gansey made a noise in the back of his throat, the one Ronan knew meant “What’s the most diplomatic way I can admit to my own fuck up without actually doing so?” The noise continued, so Ronan just kicked his foot against the floor while he waited for him to gather his thoughts.  “Look. We left for the store, though we <i>were</i> hoping we’d get back before she woke. She had a long night w-”</p>
<p>“Ew, I don’t need the particulars.”</p>
<p>“Don’t be crass, Ronan. She was working on her reports until very late last night. Or early this morning, depending on how pedantic one would like to be.”</p>
<p>Ronan snorted. “And you’ve <i>never</i> been <i>pedantic</i>. So, why’d you call me?”</p>
<p>“Well-” </p>
<p>“Please tell her we’re really sorry!” Henry cut in, loud enough to be heard despite the fact that Ronan <i>knew</i> Gansey was driving and had the phone cradled to his left ear. </p>
<p>“Henry please don’t yell. But yes, that. We’re about 10 minutes away.”</p>
<p>“And bringing a peace offering.”</p>
<p>“Trying to tame the savage beast or whatever?” He could <i>hear</i> Gansey’s wince and smiled, knowing it struck a nerve.</p>
<p>“Is all that really necessary, Ro?”</p>
<p>“Is anything? See you soon, boys.” And he flipped the phone shut with a satisfying snap before shoving it back in his pocket. Upstairs, he heard the water cut off, so he poured himself another cup of coffee and a second one for the hurricane he knew was about to blow back into his kitchen. It was waiting for her in her usual spot when she finally made it back downstairs lugging her backpack along, notably drier and wearing one of his old shirts underneath ratty overalls. </p>
<p>“Thanks Ronan. Sorry for being so angry earlier. You have no idea how irritating it is to realize too late that you got in the shower with half the point missing. Lord knows there’re plenty of things to complain about Fox Way some days, but let me tell you: Missing shampoo? Decidedly <i>not</i> one of them.” Blue plopped herself down in the chair and pulled out her laptop. </p>
<p>“You get some new stickers?” He asked in lieu of an actual response. </p>
<p>“Uhhhhh.” She examined the top briefly. “No I don’t think so.”</p>
<p>“Ha. Hard to tell with how you’ve got that thing looking. I’ve seen bar bathrooms with less stickers than that thing.”</p>
<p>“Har-dee-har, Lynch.” She didn’t either bother looking at him, choosing instead to dig out a battered notebook and flipping it open. “You hear from Gansey and Henry yet?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, they’re on their way with peace offerings.”</p>
<p>“Like that’ll stop me from turning them into human sacrifices to the hair gods. What’s their ETA?”</p>
<p>“I dunno,  like 10 minutes I think? I stopped listening when they hit round three of groveling. I can’t believe you stole one of my shirts. How could you.”</p>
<p>“Adam uses it as a grease rag, my city now. Unless you can help me with this ecology shit, hush. You’re distracting me.”</p>
<p>“If I wanted to do homework I would’ve done it when I was still in school, fuck off.”</p>
<p>They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the quiet with each other, broken only by the faint sound of Blue furiously typing. Which was nice while it lasted.<br/>
“<i>Bluuuuuuuuuuuuue!</i>” All Ronan registered was a flash of terrible haircut and then Blue was struggling to stay in her seat. Henry was tightly hugging Blue around the shoulders, burying their face in her hair. “Are you angry with us? Also gross your hair is still wet.”</p>
<p>“Not as of 20 minutes ago. But-”</p>
<p>“Jane, we’ve brought you coffee. And the fancy soap you like. And our apologies.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine? I guess? Thank you? But seriously. How did you use that much shampoo in a week? A week. It should’ve lasted at least a month. How?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, Dickard, Busy Bee, how’d you do that?” Ronan smirked, enjoying his boyfriends’ flustered expressions. </p>
<p>“The thing is…” Gansey took off his glasses and began to clean them with the hem of his polo. “The bottles that the hair products are in and the body wash are… well, they are the same color, and I don’t wear my glasses in the shower...so.”</p>
<p>Blue nodded thoughtfully. “You know, I’d never even thought about that, I’m sorry. I should paint the caps or something. That still doesn’t explain all of it.”</p>
<p>“I have brain worms, unfortunately.” Henry slinked into the chair next to Blue, relinquishing the grip he had on her. “I wash my hair, and then forget, and do it again, and then worry that I didn’t actually and wash it again.” </p>
<p>“We did plan to replace them before you woke up, we just didn’t realize that you would be awake so early, given how late you stayed up last night with Noah. It really is our fault for not telling you.”</p>
<p>Blue shook her head fondly before taking one of Gansey’s and one of Henry’s hands in her own and kissing them lightly. “You numbskulls. I love you both. Now scram, I’m busy.”</p>
<p>“Y’all are ridiculous. I cannot <i>stand</i> you three.” Ronan rolled his eyes. </p>
<p>“Don’t feel left out, Lynch. We love you too, even if you are a prickly bastard.” Henry blew him a kiss. </p>
<p>In the epitome of maturity, Ronan flipped him off.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>“I think we may need to do the dishes soon.” Noah watched from the couch as Adam pulled open drawers and cabinets frantically. </p>
<p>“What gave you the hint?” Henry muttered. </p>
<p>“How’m I supposed to eat when there’s no forks left in this house? It’s a magic house, how’s there no silverware left?”</p>
<p>Blue licked peanut butter off the knife she’d been repeatedly sticking in the jar and shrugged. “Last I checked it was Gansey’s turn to clean the kitchen.”</p>
<p>“Gansey’s been in DC for a week.” Noah pointed out. “When would he have had time to do that.”</p>
<p>“There’re like 27 goddamn wizards in the house, but no clean-”</p>
<p>“Look,” Blue shrugged. “I cleaned it last week and Ronan washed the dishes two days ago, that’s for the rest of y’all to figure out. Between the three of y’all and Opal, someone should know how soap and a kitchen sink works.”</p>
<p>“I mean I washed a round of forks and spoons yesterday, there should be some still.”</p>
<p>Adam turned to all of them, watching them watch them rifling through every drawer in the house. “Whose turn was it?”</p>
<p>“Gansey.” They chorused in unison. </p>
<p>“Gansey is in DC for the week, what happened? I- Blue?”</p>
<p>“Yes dear?”</p>
<p>“Are you eatin’ peanut butter with a knife?”</p>
<p>“How else would I eat it?” She ignored Henry snickering and Noah digging xir elbow into his side. “Anyways, Noah said xe washed some shit yesterday, so you should be fine until we can bully Ronan into doing the dishes.”</p>
<p>Adam looked like they were ready to argue with her about...well any of the points she brought up actually, but instead they just shook their head. “Fine, where are they?”</p>
<p>“Soup can in the middle of the table.”</p>
<p>“...Why?”</p>
<p>“It’s avant garde, Parrish.” Henry grinned. “It’s art, it’s the expression of mundanity.”</p>
<p>“I couldn’t find the silverware tray.”</p>
<p>Blue winced. “I may have misappropriated it for a project. That one’s on me.”</p>
<p>Adam shook their head again, this time smiling fondly. They began to pick through the can utensils. “Just make sure you put it back when you’re done with it.”</p>
<p>“Mhmm will do. I totally did <i>not</i> drill holes in it.  Find a fork?”</p>
<p>“Yes! Finally, I can eat lunch.”</p>
<p>Blue heard an indignant yelp behind her and turned to see Noah shoving Henry off xir lap. “Noaaaaaah.” They whined. </p>
<p>“Oh don’t be a baby.” Xe leaned down and planted a kiss on him before getting up and joining Adam in the kitchen. Adam didn’t even react to Noah doing xir best impression of a standing snake, just pulled xir along to the fridge to examine its contents.  “What’s for lunch?”</p>
<p>“Not sure yet. Did y’all eat the last of the spaghetti?”</p>
<p>“Gansey and I had it for breakfast.” Henry called. </p>
<p>“Okay good, it was gonna have to go one way or another after today. Sooooo,” they closed the fridge and scratched thoughtfully at their chin. “What am I gonna eat? I refuse to cook.”</p>
<p>“Well that’s probably for the best,” Henry said. “Because we need to go grocery shopping tomorrow. Which reminds me, if there’s anything you want specifically, write it on the list, or else Ronan and Blue will just throw random crap in the buggy.”</p>
<p>“Noted. We got cup noodle left?”</p>
<p>“Pantry!”</p>
<p>“Pantry it is. Okay Noah, walk with me here.”</p>
<p>“I feel like this a little bit of a three-legged race. Except it’s a four-legged waddle.”</p>
<p>“Who’da thunk that the biggest challenge in my life post-Glendower would be tryna manage basic household chores with my ex-ghost partner doin’ xir best to fuse to my bones. Blue, could <i>you’ve</i> guessed it?”</p>
<p>She smiled to herself, enjoying how Adam began to truly loosen up again and slip back into their Henrietta accent, instead of their Aglionby-now-Harvard voice. They’d only been back for break for a few days, but their presence in the house filled the missing space that was always noticeable when they were gone. Everyone missed Adam in their own ways, and it showed. How Noah clung on to everyone else more and Gansey sought out Blue and Henry more to throw his newer theories at and show his research to. In Ronan’s crotchety attitude getting pricklier and commandeering Noah and Gansey for the long nights when he still couldn’t sleep. They always restored the equilibrium. “I can’t believe you conquered magic and whatever the fuck else but trying to dysfunctionally tango with Noah is the struggle here.” </p>
<p>“You’re no help.” They all laughed, and eventually Noah <i>did</i> unpeel xirself from Adam so they could heat water without worrying about burns, electing to instead sit on the table in wait. The front door opened and closed, and soon they all saw Opal peel into the kitchen, bits of grass and straw sticking out of her hair and grass stains on her shirt. She made a beeline for Adam, who picked her up easily.</p>
<p>“Aw, hey kiddo. You’re a mess, where ya been?”</p>
<p>“I played with Ke- with <i>Ronan</i> for a while but then he got focused on the fuckin’ car-”</p>
<p>“Language!” called four voices in unison.</p>
<p>Opal rolled her eyes and ignored them. “- so I left to play with the cows instead but it’s been <i>hours</i> so now I’m back because I’m <i>bored</i>. What are you doing?”</p>
<p>“Well, I’m makin’ lunch, and Noah’s sittin’ on the table, Blue’s...eatin’ I guess? And Henry’s takin’ up all the real estate on the couch. Not much more excitin’ inside the house today I’m afraid.”</p>
<p>“Where’s Gansey? Gansey’s probably doing something <i>fun</i> right now.”</p>
<p>“Gansey’s busy with the suits in DC right now with your Uncle Declan, so I doubt it.” Blue waved her knife around to emphasize her point. “Gansey probably wishes he was takin’ up all the real estate on the couch too, but instead he’s bein’ used as a set piece for his parent’s again.”</p>
<p>“Blue…” Adam sighed.</p>
<p>“Fuck DC!” Opal cried.<br/>
“Hell yeah, Opal! Fuck DC!” The microwave beeped in solidarity with them. Blue made a mental note to make it a nametag to demarcate it as a true comrade.</p>
<p>“God, you and Ronan both are the most terrible influences.” Adam placed her gently back on the floor. “Okay, Opal run along now before Blue teaches you anything <i>else</i>.” Blue beamed at them in the face of their pointed look. </p>
<p>“But I’m hungryyyyyy.”</p>
<p>“Find a snack then, sweetpea. There’s stuff in the fridge and in the pantry and kinda just strung out all over.” They turned to recover their ramen from the microwave, and that was the fatal mistake. Blue, Noah, and Henry watched wordlessly as Opal turned and plucked Adam’s fork from the table and bit the top of the tines off contentedly before following instructions and running off with her snack. </p>
<p>“I’ll do the dishes.” Henry murmured, hoisting themself off the couch as Adam turned around. </p>
<p>“Where’d- Opal!” </p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Adam hadn’t even realized they’d fallen asleep on the couch, and neither, apparently, had anyone else. They woke up suddenly, feeling as if they were being mummified. Or at least, they thought they woke up, but they were still trapped in that stuffy darkness. And then it was removed, and they saw Ronan hanging over them, silhouetted by the late afternoon sunlight streaming into the living room. “Didn’t see you there, sorry. What’re you doing on the couch anyways, there’s like 40 beds in the damn place.” He leaned down and kissed them sweetly. </p>
<p>“‘Snot like I <i>planned</i> on nappin’ down here.” They yawned. “What was that, anyway.”</p>
<p>Their boyfriend looked a bit sheepish. “I dropped my jacket on you on accident.”</p>
<p>“Rudeass.”</p>
<p>“Hey, it’s not like I <i>knew</i> you were there. Your ugly ass sweater blends into the couch too well. I just assumed you were part of the upholstery. Sit up real quick.”</p>
<p>“Fuck you too.” They sat up and scooted over a bit so Ronan could collapse on the couch next to them. Now that they were actually alert, they were able to see that Ronan was still clutching his leather jacket in one hand, and Adam could understand how that had translated to the idea of being suffocated in their subconscious. They pulled it from his hand and tossed it on the other end of the couch before snuggling into his side. </p>
<p>“How was Mass?”</p>
<p>Ronan snorted. “It was church. What’s there to say about it? I stood and sat and kneeled a fuck ton and Declan elbowed me in the ribs and I had to straighten Matthew’s tie.”</p>
<p>“So just another Sunday, huh?”</p>
<p>“Exactly.”</p>
<p>“Did you eat already?”</p>
<p>“What’s with the third degree? Yes, I ate. Picked up something on the way back to get the girls. If I didn’t, the witches would’ve tried to feed me grass or some shit the minute I threw Opal and Blue out the car.” He nuzzled his face in Adam’s hair and the last of the tension bled out of his body. Adam was amazed at how, despite all the ways Ronan had softened over the years, he still held himself taught as razor wire. </p>
<p>“Oh please, you know they keep some meat around the house for Chainsaw.”</p>
<p>“Raw carrion, my favorite.”</p>
<p>“At least it’s ethically sourced.”</p>
<p>“Fuckin’ eco nerd. You and Blue and Henry all deserve each other.”</p>
<p>“Considerin’ how two-thirds of us were intrinsically linked to Cabeswater, I sure hope we are. You try bein’ part of a magic forest and not carin’ about the local environment.”</p>
<p>Ronan huffed, the closest he’d get to an honest laugh at the moment. “Been there, done that. I’m a farmer, that’s about as close as you’ll get from me.” </p>
<p>Adam was about to respond before the firm closing of a bedroom door distracted them. Gansey padded over to the couch and gently sat himself down on Adam’s left, tapping their leg before leaning over to spill into both their and Ronan’s laps. “Hello darlings.”</p>
<p>“Hi Gansey.”</p>
<p>“Nerdlord.”</p>
<p>He was wearing his glasses for once, but pushed them up into his hair after laying down. Adam slung their arm around Ronan’s shoulders and held Gansey’s waist, effectively holding their boyfriends in a massive hug. It felt like their chest was simultaneously expanding and collapsing, it was so full they felt as if their ribs would protrude for how their lungs expanded. Objectively, Adam knew they loved their partners. It was as much a fact as knowing that the sky was blue and that they fit perfectly in Noah’s arms and Opal would eat what she was explicitly told not to and the sun would rise in the morning and highlight Blue’s sleeping face. But there were moments when it hit them like a freight train and they filled with love to the brim. Henry once compared them to a cactus, sucking up the love at every chance they had, and sometimes they filled up so much they were fit to burst. </p>
<p>“Parrish, you in there?”</p>
<p>Adam blinked slowly. “Yeah. I was just thinkin’ about y’all.”</p>
<p>“Why?” Gansey scrunched up his face. Adam didn’t even bother suggesting that he just <i>put his glasses back on</i>. “We’re right here.”</p>
<p>“That’s why.” They didn’t offer any further explanation.</p>
<p>Ronan gently knocked his head against theirs. “Okay dweeb.” </p>
<p>“By the by, have either of you seen Henry and/or Noah recently? I’m afraid I haven’t seen them since before lunch.”</p>
<p>“Well, when was the last time you had your glasses on?” Ronan deadpanned. Gansey frowned slightly and reached up to poke Ronan in the face.</p>
<p>“Don’t be an ass, Ro. It’s a serious question. They missed lunch.”</p>
<p>“I honestly have no idea, sorry Gans.” Adam supplied. </p>
<p>“Maybe Jane will-”</p>
<p>“It’s Sunday, jackass.” For all his abrasiveness, Ronan didn’t look all that ferocious when he was gently carding his fingers through Gansey’s hair. They watched the motion for a while, as if hypnotized by the repetitive scene of golden brown hair falling between dark fingers. Adam noted absently that he needed a haircut; he was starting to look shaggy. Although, maybe not. It made him look younger, and more importantly, more like Gansey the Person and not Gansey the Third of the Gansey Family.</p>
<p>“Oh it is, isn’t it? I suppose the girls are all at Fox Way then.”</p>
<p>“Mmm.”</p>
<p>“You try texting them? Thought that was why y’all had your stupid magic boxes. For ‘<i>easy communication</i>.’ You know back in my day-”</p>
<p>“Good Lord, Ronan,” Gansey laughed. “Shut up, you sound like my grandfather.”</p>
<p>“Who you calling a gramps, Gramps?”</p>
<p>Gansey pretended to seriously consider the barb. “Well, let’s see, shall we? Cantankerous, technology-averse, rises with the sun...need I continue. Maybe I should buy you some house slippers for our anniversary.”</p>
<p>Adam ignored the outraged noise Ronan made to slip their phone out of their pocket. Sure enough, there was a unread notification from Gansey in their groupchat that simply read “Marco?” “Real popular guy today, huh sugar?” They teased.</p>
<p>“Oh hush you. Have you seen them or not?”</p>
<p>“Well they definitely haven’t,” Ronan hiked a thumb at Adam like there was even a shadow of doubt who he was talking about. “They were too busy tryna become one with the couch.”</p>
<p>“Some of us actually sleep when we get tired, Lynch. Try it sometime.”</p>
<p>“Ah, fuck off.”</p>
<p>Gansey snapped his fingers. “Adam, you’re my favorite genius in this whole house.”</p>
<p>“Uhhhh, thank you?”</p>
<p>He stood up instantly and bent over to kiss them on the forehead. They took the opportunity to pull his glasses back down onto his face, resisting the urge to laugh at his startled blinking. “Ah yes, I’d quite forgotten about those. Thank you. Anyways, I think I know where they are.” And then he wandered away through the front door without explanation. All Ronan and Adam could do was exchange a bemused look before following him. </p>
<p>Adam was glad they were still in the middling days between summer and fall, when there was the faint smell of the world beginning to wind down without any of the bite, and they could run outside barefoot without the cold cutting into their feet. Ronan stuck by their side, close enough that the back of their hands could hover next to each other in what Adam could only call the most Ronan way of holding hands in “public.” The pair trailed behind Gansey, who was “walking with purpose” <strike><i>not</i> running</strike> towards the barn. The doors were still open (they wouldn’t be closed till later in the evening, when Henry and Blue would hunt for the last of the animals to make sure there weren’t any stragglers under Opal and Chainsaw’s combined supervision and Noah and Ronan could roll the heavy doors shut). That meant that Adam could smell the heady scent of animal and outdoors and the fresh cut hay and old straw that always permeated everything within radius of the building. It was a comforting smell at this point, one that alway reminded them of <i>Home</i>. </p>
<p>“So…you planning to clue us in anytime here Dick?” </p>
<p>“Oh come on, Ro. Where’d we used to spend most of the summer?” Gansey tapped at his screen, and faintly, Adam could hear the <i>incredibly</i> outdated ringtone Noah had <i>insisted</i> on programming into xir phone the minute they got it. </p>
<p>“Leave it to those two to go to literally the most remote place on the property.” Ronan rolled his eyes before beginning to climb up the ladder. “I make sure there’re perfectly good beds in the damn house and where do y’all sleep? Couches and haylofts. Can’t stand y’all.”</p>
<p>Gansey and Adam shared matching looks of fondness over their boyfriend’s grousing before following him up the ladder. Sure enough, at the top were Noah and Henry, tangled up in each other, snoring obnoxiously (Noah) and drooling slightly (Henry), with bits of hay in their hair and clothes. They gently kicked at one of Henry’s shoes, waiting for him to wake up. It took a couple kicks, but eventually their eyes opened and they smiled. </p>
<p>“Oh hey guys. Come to join us in the world’s best cuddle sesh?”</p>
<p>“I’ve been looking for you two for ages.”</p>
<p>“Whoops. Offer still stands, though.”</p>
<p>“Couldn’t even be bothered to shoot me a text. I swear, you too.”</p>
<p>“Heyyy, it’s a Sunday afternoon. What else we have to do except take the world’s best nap?” The three of them looked at each other. Adam laid in the empty space to Henry’s left, ignoring the way hay poked through their sweater. “Hell yeah, Freckles, that’s what I’m talking about.” </p>
<p>That was all it took for Ronan and Gansey to sandwich them on either side, and Adam slowly fell back asleep, lulled by gentle warmth and steady heartbeats. Later, Blue would come back home, Chainsaw and Opal in tow, to find the five of them piled on top of each other like overgrown puppies, and they would all argue over what takeout to order and who’s turn it was to pay and what they should do later in the evening, but all that could wait for later, couldn’t it?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated, and you can find me <a href="https://twitter.com/cassandermark">@cassandermark</a> on twitter or <a href="https://theunacceptablepylades.tumblr.com/">here</a> on tumblr.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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